With the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness finally released in cinemas this month after a long wait, the MCU is now in a different place now to how it was originally set for release in May 2021.
After the ‘trickster’ Loki made the first move with the multiverse, to then going onto Spider-Man: No Way Home, where they took it to another level with the potential of what the multiverse is capable of by bringing together three generations of Spider-Men to fight against the Sinister Six, or you could say The Furious Five (Kung Fu Panda joke), as to one of their members being absent.
And, so with the start of the Doctor Strange 2 movie, we are presented with a ponytailed Benedict Cumberbatch outrunning a fire demon in some sort of cosmic real, before moving on to different universes in an adventure that consists of counterparts of your favorite characters, hungry eating zombies and a magical musical duel.
As we know today Superhero films have certainly taken a twist. Compared to the other Marvel superhero films Multiverse of Madness gives a taste of an entertaining action with a mixture of horror involved. You long-time Raimi fans may notice the camera taking angles of punching doors, cursed books and other stylistic techniques.
The horror genre impacts are seemed to be quite light compared to the emotional driving force of the narrative, which is seen to construct in a relatable human story. This film presents the good guys who are attempting to do impossible choices/acts, and we sit back and enjoy the fallout when they fall out.
Alternate universes have to be more than just a sandbox full of anticipated variants of our heroes/villains. Of course, they are that, and the Multiverse of Madness, does a good way of showing stuff which isn’t able to happen in our main reality.
For those who have watched WandaVision may already have an idea of what Wanda’s goal is in the Multiverse of Madness. When here powers are unlocked being the Scarlet Witch, she’s a great danger to our heroes, but she’s yet still a sympathetic and even tragic figure.
Cumberbatch is enjoyable as the lovable jerk, but Strange isn't the most interesting character in the film, despite the fact that his name is in the title. His relationship with Christine Palmer, played by Rachel McAdams, appears to be something we're supposed to care about, but their chemistry is rather inert compared to what's going on around them.
Xochitl Gomez, a newcomer to the MCU, plays feisty America Chavez, a comic book character known as Miss America who can kick holes in the multiverse. Even if her underused role retreads No Way Home's running joke about Strange being grouchy with wide-eyed teenagers, Gomez adds a vibrant spark to the film. Benedict Wong is one of the MCU's most endearing minor characters, even among the rest of the cast. Even with the limited time he has, Chiwetel Ejiofor's returning friend-turned-foe Mordo appears to be going through some real mental agony.
Even though the film's nominal hero is a little lost, the plot moves along thanks to a powerful central chase, and the mix of adventure, horror, and action is matched with a swagger befitting of confident superhero Doctor Strange himself. Although Marvel's winning approach is a formula, the addition of strangeness keeps it feeling fresh. What doesn't kill a franchise makes it weirder.
